Door to the Little Metal Box
by Kabashka
Summary: A somewhat (or very) AU version of the X series, and how X was released from his capsule by Dr. Cain. We follow it through with one of his assistants. Can humans accept AI?
1. An Interesting Find

Door to the Little Metal Box By: Kabashka  
  
A.N/Disclaimer: I don't own Megaman X or Megaman related characters and things. As an excess A.N: Please forgive any typos and/or mistakes. Notify me if they're heavy and appear insanely stupid. By the way, I have servebots in this fic, but not the kind like on MML. These ones are 'servebots,' not 'servbots.' Ok? Ok!  
  
Oh, and I'm using Microsoft Word doc. When I preview this chapter after uploading it on fanfiction.net, italics are not in italics. The story doesn't look like I want it to look. If italics don't show up when it's posted, then I will be sad and a wee bit angry. Let me know how to fix it, someone! Please!  
  
Chapter one: An Interesting Find  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ynen was not in the best of moods.  
  
It was exactly three twenty-two a.m. Morning, yet night. If the sky was black and the city was asleep, then damn it all to hell, so should she. Unfortunately, Cain labs inc. did not allow Ynen the luxury of a soft bed at this hour, for she was summoned for assistance.  
  
"Crap." She muttered, haphazardly yanking on a clean white lab coat. "Crap, crap, crap."  
  
Apparently, it had been an emergency. Or a type of one. During a restful sleep after a hard working day, the intercom that sat on her nightstand buzzed and beeped like mad. The sound crept into her dreams, slowly lulling her out into reality. After her eyes fluttered open, it had taken two minutes to figure what that noise was, and how easily it was beginning to pound into her head. Having half the mind to throw it out the door, she did what the other half told her. She pressed the button and answered.  
  
Now, as she power walked down the clean white hallways of the building, lights blaring in her face, she wondered what it would be like to cut out the reasonable half of her brain. She could replace it with wires and microchips, a miniscule body generator to run off energy from mitochondria activity and blood flow. Robotic, she thought, somewhat disgusted by the idea.  
  
Lost in her thoughts, Ynen nearly tripped over a small servebot who was rushing around the floor, mop in hand and rags dangling from his polygonal head. "Watch where you're going, Robot." She said off-handedly, but no less than cold. She ignored the fact that it was her own fault for not paying attention to where her feet were dragging her.  
  
"I am sorry, ma'am." The servebot replied, its voice monotone and bee-like.  
  
Ynen sped up her pace. "Robots." She muttered. After a few turns here and there, passing late night workers and fifty doors, she pulled out a card key from her pocket and swiped it easily across a metal panel that rested on the wall. The sturdy metal door beside it let out a beep and green light, and she strode in.  
  
The room was considerably large compared to the rest in the laboratory building. The walls were tall and white. Along the walls were empty capsules from ancient, out-dated robots. There were strong metal tables, lights, tools, lasers, and computers. Giant monitor screens rested on the far wall. Ynen paid these things no mind, and instead went through the door that led to the back room.  
  
"Ynen, it's about time you got here!" Said an old man with a gray, tough beard. He was looming over a foreign object, trying to scrap off the dirt that caked it's exterior. There were plugs and wires streaming from the back of it, connecting with energy monitors, programming information, and background data.  
  
The thing was huge. It resembled a coffin capsule, tipped on its side, measuring at least seven and a half, eight feet long, five feet wide on an out-curve. "Dr. Cain," she addressed the old man, "What is this? Is this what you called me here for?"  
  
Dr. Cain glanced at her from his attempt to remove the grime. "It is. Trust me, this is much more important than your loss of three hours' sleep."  
  
Ynen looked hard at him. "If you don't tell me what it is soon, I'll be finding that statement debatable."  
  
She was in no mood for jokes and pranks. Her skin felt clammy and cold, and her eyes felt half sealed shut from grunge. She should have just turned around and went right back to bed. This was probably just another one of Dr. Cain's exciting finds of everyday technology that was buried in an earthquake five years ago. If the thing sitting in front of her was what she thought it was, then it was probably just another mindless robot, ready to carry out it's programmer's wishes. I'm twenty-one years old. I don't need this crap.  
  
Dr. Cain cleared his throat, catching her attention swiftly. "I believe it is a capsule-"  
  
"You woke me up for a capsule??" Blast you, old man.  
  
Dr. Cain glared at her. "Girl, let me finish! And don't you look at me like that." He stood straight and made his way over to a box, no more than five feet from Ynen. "As I was saying," he continued, "do you remember where I took that trip to? It was an archeological study on fossilized plants in that area, but just my luck, I found a rather deep tunnel. My curiosity caught the better of me, so I followed it."  
  
"And this is what you found?" Ynen motioned her hand to the capsule. You strayed from your botany to your mechanical curiosity.  
  
"Dear, no! I found more than that! Look at this." He handed her a rolled up poster, which he fished out of the box. It was old, but seemed to have been kept safe and in good condition. There was no empty table to spare in the room, so Ynen kneeled over and unrolled it on the floor.  
  
"A blueprint?" She asked, suddenly curious. She observed it a bit closer, and then sighed in exasperation. "Dr. Cain, It's just a blueprint for another stupid robot!"  
  
"Don't be daft, Girl!" He exclaimed. "Take a closer look! The famous Dr. Light made that blueprint, along with all these others." He gestured to the box.  
  
"So this thing is a hundred years old? You've got to be kidding me. It isn't even worth your time."  
  
"One hundred, sixty-three to be exact." He corrected, smartly. "Take a closer look."  
  
Ynen rolled her eyes and did what he asked of her. The figure on the paper was just a robot. It did look different, she had to admit, than normal ones she'd seen.  
  
It looked more human.  
  
Far more human. It's height was a good six feet (maybe a bit taller), it could walk, run, talk, but nothing on this particular print said anything about it's basic function and purpose. It was programmed with the basic laws of robotics, and... what was that thing on its arm?  
  
"Arm Cannon!" Ynen cried. "You mean to tell me that thing is equipped with firearms?"  
  
"It can't hurt humans, so what is there to worry?" Dr. Cain said, completely at calm.  
  
"It's dangerous. I'm completely against this."  
  
Dr. Cain's eyes seemed to light up with a sort of youthful passion. "Oh, come now! How are we to learn the mysteries of science without taking a few minor risks?"  
  
Ynen rubbed her eyes, rolled up the blueprint with care, and handed it back to him. "Minor risks." She echoed. "Yeah, right."  
  
With a sigh, Dr. Cain gazed at the capsule. He was like a child who couldn't wait to open Christmas presents, sitting impatiently by the tree. He was the founder of Cain Labs, and Ynen knew he could activate the capsule with as much permission as he had to scratch an itch. He just needed a smart witness and assistant. She began to feel a little guilty for being so against some of the things he so loved to do; explore, learn, and experiment. She briefly wondered if her cautious side was getting the better of her.  
  
"I see there is no persuading you?" Dr. Cain sighed in thought. "I could use you. You are my most trusted and intelligent assistant, Ynen."  
  
I'm not an assistant, damn you. I'm a scientist. "No need for flattery." Ynen tried to offer a rare smile. "I suppose it would be a great experience to open this thing, but not now. I'm cranky, and I'm not at my best right now. What do you say you let me go to sleep, and we can discuss everything in the morning?"  
  
The old man smiled. "I was about to suggest such a thing. I'm glad you're beginning to see this as a learning risk!"  
  
"Risk. Don't remind me. Goodnight, Dr. Cain."  
  
She left the room, immersed in thought. Tomorrow, or, today, would be an interesting one.  
  
~*~*~  
  
By the time Ynen returned to her room, she promptly went back for much needed rest. She awoke at seven thirty, having caught an extra hour of sleep merely out of spite for Dr. Cain. After the usual morning rituals, she found herself in the cafeteria, quietly sipping hot tea in deep contemplation. She thought back to the blueprints.  
  
X. That was what the robot was called.  
  
What would they do with a robot with unknown designated function? Was it a secret project, built to kill? An assassination mechanism? Maybe it was just created as some sort of guard, some sort of protection. Maybe it controlled plug-ins for virus destruction in advance computer software?  
  
With a long sigh, she took a long sip of her tea. The steam hit her welcomingly in the face, making her feel warm all over, turning her cheeks pink, as she closed her eyes. She could feel the hot liquid soothing her throat and insides. When she gained the strength to lift her eyelids, she noticed a young, boyish face only inches from her own.  
  
"Ack!" Ynen let out a small shriek, nearly falling out of her chair before catching herself, hands gripping the edge of the table. The face let out a grin and laughed.  
  
"I knew you were still alive." He leaned back.  
  
"Jesus, Corkscrew!" She yelled at him. "Don't scare me like that!"  
  
Corkscrew, so he was called, lifted one dark eyebrow, and then grinned again. "You drift away so easily. Do you know how long I was sitting here?"  
  
"Had I known you were there, I would have screamed sooner." She said smoothly after composing her self, then went to cleaning some spilt tea with a napkin.  
  
Corkscrew scratched the back of his black, spiky-haired head. "Hey now, that's not very nice." He whined, mockingly. His expression suddenly grew a little solemn, and he said, "Hey, any idea why Dr. Cain wants us to meet him in his lab today?"  
  
Ynen studied him for a moment. Dr. Cain wants more assistance with the capsule? That would certainly make sense, but why didn't he tell her about it? She had assumed the project was to be kept secret, and she figured she was right. Having worked with Dr. Cain for a few years, she managed to learn the way his mind worked around people. She understood his language better than most, which was one reason the old man liked to pretend she was his assistant. Because of that, she rarely had the time to work on her own inventive projects. She was too busy helping him with his own brilliant ones. At least the pay was good.  
  
"What did he tell you?" Ynen finally responded.  
  
Leaning forward on his elbows, Corkscrew said, "Well, he told me to find you, keep an eye on you, make sure you go with me this morning to meet him. I don't see why you wouldn't, it's not like you to disobey boss' orders, is it?" He seemed to have been talking much to himself rather than her. "Other than that, he stressed its importance, and I wonder if he's over exaggerating. Even made sure I had absolutely nothing else to do today. Please tell me, wherever you are in that brilliant head of yours, that you have at least an inkling of what is going on?"  
  
By that time, Ynen began to think that the old scientist, botanist, archeologist (to her, he seemed fifty million things at times) was creating too large a fuss -- dragging Corkscrew and herself along for the ride. Had his little trap caught her? Had she seriously begun to fathom that the robot in that capsule was truly a unique advancement created in the past?  
  
She thought about it.  
  
Oh, hell. Even if it were equipped with an ancient, outdated weapon, the pathetic piece of scrap metal would simply fall apart anyway. The capsule was taken away from its original data point. That alone could somewhat disrupt its contents. She laughed internally at her own distrust.  
  
With a small tug on the corner of her mouth, she chuckled lightly. "It's just a capsule. Don't get too excited about it."  
  
She watched as Corkscrew raised an eyebrow. "What?"  
  
"You heard me."  
  
"Of course I heard you. What do you mean a 'capsule'? From where? What's in it?"  
  
"I told you not to get too excited about it." She brushed a loose strand of brown hair from her eyes. "I was with Dr. Cain last night, or, early this morning, to my misfortune. I was called in, probably only a few hours after he had a crew bring in that giant scrap of metal. Apparently it's from 2097, fresh from...er, well, it's from the old Dr. Thomas Xavier Light's laboratory."  
  
"Hmm." Corkscrew's fingers rapped against a smooth, narrow chin in thought. "You'll never know. Maybe it could be useful?"  
  
"I doubt it. A two hundred year old robot would be no more useful than a toaster."  
  
"What does it look like?"  
  
"Hell if I know." Ynen shrugged. "The front plate looked as if it was caught in a landslide. Well—it probably was. The blueprint I saw didn't show its—"  
  
"You saw blueprints?" He interrupted animatedly, removing his hand from his chin.  
  
"Only one. It showed a basic outline, but no details. I bet it doesn't even have a face save a voice box."  
  
It was suddenly quiet for a moment. Corkscrew was most likely forming a question in his head. His fingertips tapped the tabletop, as if he was waiting impatiently for someone. He was just deep in thought  
  
"Just so you know," Ynen broke his train of thought, catching his piercing blue eyes, "I didn't give away anything confidential, got it? He never said it was secret, so there was no promise, but if anyone asks..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. You didn't tell me piss. I got it."  
  
She nodded. "Ah. We should head over there now, don't you think?"  
  
They both stood up and left.  
  
~*~*~  
  
It didn't take long to get to Dr. Cain's lab rooms. Both of the young scientists could draw the maze of hallways on a piece of paper if asked to. The corridors still appeared different to Ynen at night compared to daylight. The light wasn't the problem, for most of them were still on during the dark hours, but it was mainly the people. Scientists, technicians, businessmen and women all bustled through the halls rapidly. Many of the doors were left open as they scrambled in and out, performing various experiments concerning chemistry, computers, and robots. Every once in a while, a loud 'Boom' and 'bang' crashed and echoed through the corridors. A man would run out, lab coat singed and sizzling at the hems while the watchers laughed. Everything always turned out all right, though.  
  
Corkscrew swiped his access card and held the door open. "After you, my Lady." He grinned. Ynen ignored him.  
  
Again, Dr. Cain was in the back room, waiting for them and again, Dr. Cain was looking over the capsule. He grinned at them, peering up as he heard them enter. "Greetings, both of you."  
  
"Dr. Cain." Came Ynen's form of greeting. She glanced at Corkscrew from the corner of her eye. He was nervous. Either that, or he was very eager to learn more about the capsule and what was in it. He was looking around the room; eyes darting from place to place like a cat after a fly. She kicked him in the ankle, bringing him instantly to attention.  
  
"O-oh. Uh, yo." He said, embarrassed.  
  
"Ynen, I can only assume you know why you're here?" Dr. Cain said. She nodded. "Well," he continued, "You might be a little off."  
  
Before either of them knew it, Ynen and Corkscrew had two buckets of soapy water shoved into their hands. They stared, dumbstruck at Dr. Cain who was chuckling merrily. How in the hell did that old man pull two buckets of water out of nowhere? And when did he get the nerve to pull a prank like that?  
  
"Alright then, get started! Ynen, I want you to explain to Mr. Painter," He meant Corkscrew, "about this remarkable find..."  
  
Do it yourself, Old man.  
  
"...While you are cleaning it."  
  
"C-cleaning...?" Ynen stared into the bucket. Her brain wasn't registering correctly. She would have to replace it with a computer that could solve super-human equations and send the answers back through brainwaves. "Dr. Cain," she growled through her teeth, "do I look like a janitor?"  
  
Dr. Cain pushed a pair of spectacles back onto the bridge of his nose. "If you would hear me out, I could very well explain, however, I'm in a hurry. There are two businessmen waiting on the second floor from the company I had deliver this," he gestured to the capsule. "Nosey people they are, trying to be sneaky, trying to figure out what could be in something so large so that they may reap profits if its value."  
  
"So you're just going to leave us hear to polish up your antiques?" Corkscrew asked, the slightest of anger showing in his voice. It was rare, Ynen noted, when Corkscrew got angry, or at least expressed it.  
  
"Please be gentle with this 'antique', Mr. Painter." Dr. Cain smiled.  
  
The corners of his eyes crinkled. He really did have a wonderful heart, that old man. No one could stay mad at him for too long.  
  
"This is the second time you've pissed me off today, Dr. Cain." Ynen groaned. "I want a bonus."  
  
And damn it, she would kill that old man for it, too.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Corkscrew honestly didn't mind. He whistled, most of the time, as his fingertips turned to prunes. He commented on how it reminded him of the 'good ol' days' when he used to go out and wash his mother's car for five credits. Ynen was about to tell him he was just a moron, but instead said nothing. She really didn't want to bring down his optimism, but then again, it was all innate and strong. That was one reason they managed to become friends.  
  
"I don't understand." Corkscrew said, wringing out a sponge. "Why is he making us clean this thing? We should be playing with wires and motherboards, shouldn't we?"  
  
"Well, yeah," Ynen blew a strand of hair from her face, "but think about it. Who complains the most about their pay?"  
  
"Us?"  
  
"No, dummy. The custodians." She dropped the sponge back into the bucket. "And they never can keep secrets." She thought for a moment, hand on chin. "By the way, the blond on the third floor, apparently, has a crush on you."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"In any case," she continued, "servebots can't do this job, or any other robots. If something were to happen while they were cleaning, such as a fusion blow-out, or whatever's in there wakes up, they're not programmed to handle the situation. Actually, that's why humans are ever hired here for cleaning."  
  
Corkscrew, sitting on the top of the capsule, was looking down at her. "You've given this thought, huh?"  
  
She shrugged. "A little. I don't really know why. It's just another capsule, and as I said before, the robot probably doesn't even have a face."  
  
Corkscrew didn't reply. He was suddenly very focused on his task. Setting down the sponge, he moved his hands over the moist dirt and attempted to pry the large chunks from the glass. He gave a strong pull, and it abruptly came loose, causing him to tumble down the front with a yell, dust and filth flowing him in a grunge cloud. The slab of dirt fell into Ynen's wash bucket, splashing muck water onto her front. She leapt up.  
  
"Damn it, Cork! Watch what you're doing!" She shouted at him. She attempted to rub off the dirt and water from her coat and shirt.  
  
He groaned where he lay. When he sat up, he grinned in a sheepish manner. "Well, now we know it has a face." He rubbed his backside as he stood up. "Oh, and I'm O.K., thanks for asking."  
  
Ynen's glare softened to surprise. "What did you say?"  
  
"I said 'I'm O.K., thanks for asking.' It's called sarcasm."  
  
"No, Stupid! Before that!" Her glare came back easily as she climbed the capsule where Corkscrew previously sat. She peered through the old glass, her mind going astray.  
  
"It has a face." He said below her.  
  
"I can see that now." She whispered. She meant to sound rude, but her breath got caught in her throat. Portions of the capsule's contents were somewhat visible before her, yet still very clouded with filth. The piece Corkscrew had so gracefully removed, to her astonishment, really did reveal a face. It gave the impression of being a male human, almost, to the extent of perfection. Its eyes were closed, appearing as though asleep. It was asleep, in a robot's sense, but robots don't have sense. Ultimately, they are simply not human.  
  
"Amazing." She said aloud. Corkscrew began to get jumpy with curiosity.  
  
"I want to see!" He said, climbing up behind Ynen and trying peer over her shoulder. He tried to keep from falling down the curved sides of the thick glass plate. "Let me see. I didn't get a good look, being too busy breaking my ass and all."  
  
"Get off. You'll break it." She hissed.  
  
"I will not," he scoffed. "Capsule glass doesn't break that easily." He leaned in closer towards the face, slapping on a pair of thin-wired glasses to perch on the slender bridge of his nose.  
  
"I thought you could see fine without those?" Ynen lifted an eyebrow. Corkscrew shrugged.  
  
"I'm observing."  
  
"Observing? My ass! You can wait!" She shoved him away. "You're too close to me! Are you enjoying this?"  
  
"Like I would even want to sit this close to you." He protested loudly, scooting closer to the center to keep from falling.  
  
"Can't you wait? I can't stand you and your bickering with me!"  
  
"You started it."  
  
"Don't act like a child!"  
  
Neither one of them noticed the beeping of the monitors quicken. One of the meters increased, and the CPU function monitor rose considerably.  
  
She was glaring at him now, eyes flashing like flames as he struggled to hold a place on the glass. He nearly fell onto her lap before straightening himself out again. "Actually," he joked, "this is kind of nice. Hope that blond doesn't get jealous."  
  
Ynen growled in her throat at his immaturity. She shoved him away again, only to have him shove her back. "Get off." She said.  
  
"You get off."  
  
"You get off!" Again, she shoved him, only with more force. It was just enough to tip him off, and he began to slide downwards. The expression on his face was one of complete surprise and fear as he made pinwheels with his arms. Ynen pulled a contradictory reaction to the slip, grabbing him by the collar of his coat. His glasses fell from his face, hitting the floor with a crack. He clambered back to the center, unnoticing that they were both clinging to each other.  
  
They peered over the edge at Corkscrew's broken spectacles. "I hope you're planning on paying for those." He said.  
  
Silence followed, and only the sound of rapid beeps could be heard, becoming sensitized to the ears of Ynen and Corkscrew. Realization of the monitors around them caused their heartbeats to match the monitor's pace, and they faced the robot in the capsule below them.  
  
A pair of green, human-like, glassy optics peered out at them.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ok. There's the first chapter. If I get any reviews stating that original characters are unoriginal, I will pointedly ignore them. Please let me know of any mistakes and whatnot I may have made. I can be clumsy, more so on my feet than with literature, but I am clumsy with both nonetheless. I get tired ~. ~  
  
Reviews are appreciated! Let me know if my writing is shitty enough to end my fanfiction existence, though, ok? (let me down gently) 


	2. Fearful Unacceptance

**A/N:** For some reason, I decided to update a story I hadn't updated in TWO YEARS. Why? I don't know! I suddenly had my hands on a PSP the other day on the way to San Francisco, playing some bootleg version of Maverick Hunters. My first thought was "why the hell did they remake Megaman X?" But I played anyway. I killed off eight mavericks and got halfway up to Sigma, having a most jolly time, but I still think it was rather pointless. Except for the really cool anime cutscenes. Anyway, the point is; it made me think of that story that's been sitting on my computer for two years. So, why not update? No point in writing if it ain't gunna be read!

Also, I got rid of that dumb default chapter. Man, I've matured. :snorts: yea right.

* * *

Silence. 

Fear?

It _stared _at them. Its face was unreadable. Pressure was building up.

"…Ynen?" Corkscrew breathed. He was frozen stiff. "What do we do?"

Ynen had no answer. A robot with a human face was gazing outside of its confinement. The capsule was like no other she had seen, and she wondered if the robot inside had the ability to release itself. She wished and willed the cogs in her head to turn faster, to send her an answer with haste, but there were no microchips or processors in her head to give her information on demand. She was as lost as a servbot, preprogrammed to clean.

It blinked.

It _blinked._

How did it blink? Robots don't blink…! Robots only blink when commanded to, when humans, amateurs usually, decide to play with the idea that robots could be more human. Dr. Cain even fiddled with that idea.

Dr. Cain. Yes. Call Dr. Cain.

"Cork," she whispered, "slowly, go to the intercom. Call Dr. Cain and tell him what's going on. Make sure no one else will hear you through the receiving end."

Corkscrew glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "What? No way. I'm not leaving you alone with this thing."

"This is no time for chivalry." She said. "Just do it. It's in the first room."

Corkscrew seemed to have held an inner conflict. His eyes went from the robot, to Ynen, and back to the robot. "Jesus." He muttered. "Look at it. It's looking at us."

"There's not much else to look at, with us hanging over it. Now go call that damned old man!"

Corkscrew grunted with annoyance, and leapt off the capsule. Ynen noticed how the robot's eyes followed him until he was out of its view. Its eyes went back to her. Watching her.

_This is ridiculous_. She thought. Why was she frightened? It was just a robot, and it wasn't even doing anything. If it wanted blood, it could've gotten some while she was childishly arguing with Corkscrew. If it wanted something else, it was patiently waiting. Ynen laughed internally at her thoughts. Wanted? Waiting? Robots don't do things like that. They sit and do nothing until commanded. They don't think, and they don't speculate.

She narrowed her eyes and forced her brain to function. Jumping off the capsule, she looked to the room that Corkscrew went in, and then headed to the monitors. She stabilized them, turning down the knobs, lowering volume, and printed the background data sheet. Reading it carefully, she learned that the robot had never been activated before. From the information on the capsule's CPU, transferred to Dr. Cain's computer, she learned that the robot should have been released thirty years after its containment.

DRIVE/X:1-1 DAMAGE

ERROR

DAMAGE: 92

Ninety-two percent. So much for background data. Ynen gazed at the capsule, wondering, thinking how much more mysterious it was compared to previous capsules Dr. Cain bothered to bring to the labs. She closed her eyes, willing her mind to answer her. She vaguely heard Corkscrew's voice in the other room. Not knowing what else to do, she leaned against one of the monitors, and strained to listen to his side of the conversation.

"…What? ….No…Yes…Uh-huh… ….Three minutes? …Okay."

When Corkscrew jogged back in, he said, "Dr. Cain will be down here in three minutes. He wants us to print out…" He looked at the papers in her hand. "Oh."

"Here." Ynen said, passing them to Corkscrew. "Read them yourself. There's not much. The capsule took considerable damage."

"…Only eight percent salvageable? What happened to it?"

"Could be a virus." Ynen went to the capsule and climbed on top. She dared to look inside, catching the robot's attention. It blinked at her.

"If it was a virus," Corkscrew went on, "then wouldn't the whole capsule have been crashed?"

Ynen put her hand on the glass. It was rough and dirty, grains digging into her palm. To her amazement, the robot seemed to show an expression other than confusion. Curiosity? It looked at her hand, and back to her eyes, appearing as if it were silently questioning her actions, and what she was asking of it. She wasn't sure herself.

It's …eyes, were so _green_.

"I don't mean to interrupt your intimate little moment," Corkscrew went on irritably, "but we _were _having a conversation, weren't we? Geez, you stop paying attention so easily."

Ynen squinted her eyes at the robot inside. It, in turn, quirked an eyebrow (if it had one) at her. She leaned to the right, then to the left, watching it watch her, noting its facial expressions. It reacted just like a human. Too human. She stopped her movements when it's mouth opened, as if ready to say something. Its mouth opened and closed for a moment, but realization came upon it that the glass was undoubtedly soundproof. It suddenly looked away, as if disappointed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Corkscrew said finally, coming to lean on the side of the capsule. He was most likely expecting the young woman to ignore him.

"This thing…" Ynen said quietly, to his good fortune. She fished for words. "It responds to all of my movements."

"Normal robots can do that." He shrugged.

"Yes, but, this one makes faces like a human. Reaction time is exact. Robots usually take a second to process what happens in front of them. It follows me completely."

"…So?"

Ynen looked at him sharply, yet the comment was dry. "What do you mean, "so?" If this thing tries to kill you, you won't be getting a one second head start."

"Damn, and here I thought you would say something nice about the thing. Can you cut the sarcasm a little?" He grinned.

She ignored him. 'It doesn't exactly look bloodthirsty.'

"You're so pessimistic." He whined at her silence.

"I think she prefers 'pragmatic.'" A familiar, aged voice floated into the room.

Dr. Cain nearly bounced in with a sort of youthful glee. Ynen did not feel inclined to watch his movements, his expressions, or even listen attentively to what he would say. Corkscrew immediately filled Dr. Cain in with the details, and they conversed quickly and for some reason, maybe it was just her, but they seemed rather quiet. She was suddenly filled with a feeling of nostalgia and moodiness as she stared back at the robot that had nothing better to do than meet her stare.

"Its eyes are soulless." She blurted out. She hadn't meant to say that out loud, especially not so loud that Corkscrew and Dr. Cain could hear. What she said, she knew was a blatant lie.

"What?" Corkscrew gave her a puzzled look. "What about souls? You don't believe in God."

Of course not. She believed in facts. Facts were true. Facts couldn't lie. "No... I mean, you're right. Scientists have no use for religions. They only get in the way."

"Come down from there now." Dr. Cain said, not unkindly. "God or no, we'll have this capsule opened in a flash."

Were souls and God so closely related? Could you believe in a soul, and not a God?

"I have guards standing on patrol outside the door should anything happen." Dr. Cain's voice barely managed to reach her ears as she slid down the front of the capsule, shoes crunching down on the dirtied ground upon contact.

Everything was robotic and artificial. Many forests consisted of steel plated tree trunks, knotted wires and sparks dangling like moonlit jungle vines on the forest floor. The _metallic _forest floor. Robotic animals clinking and clanging from one synthetic place to the next. Many oceans and mountains weren't much different. It was surreal. But it was real. She wasn't sure why she was thinking all of this.

"There is steam buildup in the pipes and one of the tanks. Best to release it first."

So how was it that the idea of a human robot seemed so…

"The two small valves on the back, Ynen, should release pressure."

…_Unreal? _

"Mr. Painter, keep an eye on the monitor. If anything goes harmfully unpredicted, I want you to cancel progress."

Ynen grasped both valves and turned, one going the wrong way, causing her to frustratingly correct herself. For some reason that one normal, easily correctable mistake angered her.

A loud hissing noise seeped from the sides of the capsule, bursting out clotted ventilation ducts. The snake-like sound was accompanied by opaque steam that eventually threaded up into the air after being shot out like a fire extinguisher. She stepped around it, hurrying to stand by Corkscrew who was situated in front of the computer's monitor. Not that he was watching it, for all three pairs of eyes were glued to the capsule.

The hissing gradually decreased.

"I'm ready for the 'O.K.' when you are, Dr. Cain." Corkscrew said. It frustrated Ynen to hear no tremor in his voice.

The old man nodded his head, and Corkscrew complied, clicking a button without a glance. _Dangerous_, Ynen thought. _Fool. Could've hit the wrong key_.

The thought was shoved out of her mind quickly as the capsule emitted a hum. It wasn't loud and irritating like the sound of steam, but more like the sound of ten, maybe fifteen super-computers and a hovercraft whirring to life. Soft and monotonous. Sometimes a slight rumble.

The layers of dried dirt cracked.

The glass plating lifted.

The chunks of grime fell and broke into pieces upon impact.

At its tilted angle, one could see directly into the capsule if standing in front of it. Ynen had little desire to stand so directly before whatever was in there, human face or not.

The large glass plate was lifted as far as it would go, stopping with an echoing '_clang_.'

It took a moment for someone to release unnoticeably held breath, that person being Dr. Cain. He cleared his throat, not making a move to see into the capsule. He smartly kept his distance.

"Can you speak, Robot?" He called. His tone was not commanding, nor was it particularly kind. Corkscrew and Ynen cast glances to each other, wondering.

Soon, a hesitant reply. "…Yes."

Alas, it was Ynen and Corkscrew's turn to release their breath. It did not relinquish their anxiety, however, as they kept eyes on Dr. Cain, watching him take small, slow steps to the front of the capsule. The fool was getting braver.

"Are you able to sit up?" He called again.

"…Yes."

Dr. Cain opened his mouth, ready to command the robot to do so, but he shut it when he realized that the action was in progress. Ynen, from her vantage point (which was shared by Corkscrew), noticed the same thing. Rising slowly, from the edge of the capsule's lip, was the face she had seen only through clouded glass, the face of a young man with green eyes.

The robot looked around, turned its head to Dr. Cain, briefly, before setting its gaze upon Ynen and Corkscrew. Instinctively, they both tensed.

"You two," It said, blinking, "It was… you that I saw."

Both scientists tried racking up something to say, both cursing each other for finding nothing. Dr. Cain watched intently, observing the robot that was gazing at the two mind-fumbling humans. Again, he found himself late with anything to say, for the robot continued.

"Where am I? I have no memory of this place."

_Wow._ Ynen's mind boggled. The robot asked a question. Robots don't ask questions, not unless it was something related to serving a human. Something to better the lives of humans. This thing asked of its own _free will _and for its own _well-being._

Funny. Robots had not either one.

This wasn't happening.

"You are in my laboratory, and I am Dr. Cain." What a simple answer. Ever so truthful, but simple nonetheless. "You have no memory of this place, simply because you have never been here before."

The robot looked at him. "I… have no memory of any place." Sadness. If that robot had tone in its voice, Ynen would say it was sadness.

"What about a name?" Corkscrew piped up suddenly. The action caused him a sharp look from Dr. Cain, but he shrugged it off.

"Name," The robot echoed, "I remember names. I can't recall places, but my name, I think is… hmm…"

Robots aren't forgetful.

"…X. Yeah, that's it."

_X. That was what the robot was called._

"I've never been awake before."

_Activated. You've never been _activated_ before._

"There are names in my head. Years, dates. I've been sleeping for…"

_You were not sleeping!_

"…One hundred, sixty-three years…?"

_And you should have been sleeping for only **thirty** of those years._

Dr. Cain was nodding, whether to himself or to the robot, Ynen couldn't tell. "You are quite correct," he said, "However, your…'slumber' wasn't meant to last so extensively."

The robot wryly smiled. "No wonder I feel so groggy."

At her sides, Ynen unknowingly clenched and unclenched her fists. Robots _don't _smile, and they _don't_ feel groggy. They don't _feel, _and they _don't_ display …dry humor.

Dr. Cain didn't seem nearly as surprised, shocked, or whatever word there was that could be used to describe Ynen's immediate feelings. Corkscrew, at least, was inadvertently fidgeting with a pen he idly found lying on a desk. Perhaps he was thinking some of the same things as she? She wanted, badly, to hit something. Especially when Dr. Cain chuckled lightly at the robot's words.

"Allow me to introduce two of my most trusted assistants," Dr. Cain began, motioning for Corkscrew and a reluctant Ynen to stand by his side. They both groaned inwardly at being referred to as his 'assistants,' however, refrained from voicing unnecessary opinions.

Corkscrew made his way and stood by Dr. Cain first, Ynen, purposely moving slower. When she was able to peer inside the capsule where the robot sat, she couldn't help but stare.

It was so _blue!_

It appeared to be a sort of armor, that much she was able to tell having seen the blueprints. She didn't really expect it to be blue.

It had a helmet fit snugly above its green eyes. The rest of its armored body looked as though it could have been human. If the plates could be cracked and torn off, there could be the lean body of a young man, normal, and fleshy. Maybe in a suit, ready for work. Or a green t-shirt, to match the glowing green eyes.

Blue was still nice.

There were two shades; dark and light. Like the sky. Like a cerulean on a summer day, and then a dark, starless twilight. Both natural, not…

_Funny. Comparing Earth skies to a robot._

"This is Ernet Painter," Dr. Cain said, laying a hand on Corkscrew's shoulder.

The robot regarded him with a smile. "Hi."

Corkscrew actually managed to grin boyishly, as if he just made a new friend. "Yo."

"And this one, " Dr. Cain continued, putting a hand on Ynen's back and slightly pushing her forward, "Is Ynen Sofia. Both are under my employment in the research of robotechnology."

The robot's green gaze moved to her. It looked at her in the same way as it did when behind the unbreakable glass plate. Curiosity, now mixed with a sort of greeting. Too human. "Hello."

_Say 'hi,' Ynen_. "Hi," she said quickly, quietly. _I said 'hi' to a robot._

"Is something wrong?" It was observing her.

_No, nothing at all. A robot is trying to engage conversation with me. That's all. And how, exactly, does a robot acquire a… concerned expression?_ Ynen was reeling, and she could say nothing.

Corkscrew to the rescue. "So, you can sit up. Can you come out of that capsule by yourself?"

The robot's gaze flickered to him, back to Ynen for a moment, then back to Corkscrew. It nodded. "I can. I think my legs will function as they were meant to."

"Then please," Dr. Cain stepped back from the capsule with Corkscrew and Ynen, "Do so."

The robot nodded, wrapping white hands around the lip of the capsule. For a moment, it appeared to struggle with lifting itself on its feet, but it managed to hoist itself into a standing position. It completed a sort of standing walk, testing its joints until it confidently leapt from the capsule that served as its home. It stood still after its feet hit the ground, as if checking its functions for possible signs of weakness. Seemingly satisfied, the robot looked back at the scientists, a small grin breaking on its face.

"Way to go," Corkscrew gave a thumbs up, the robot cocking its head at the gesture.

"Your system is normal?" Dr. Cain asked. The robot nodded. "Functions okay? No contaminations?"

"It seems to be working fine," Ynen muttered loud enough, just for Cain's ears. Though she hadn't thought the robot would hear her, she realized it started to appear slightly miffed at something. As much as her denial went on, a feeling told her she knew what it was.

That, and she found it unsettling that a robot could be displeased.

"Must you refer to me as that?" The robot questioned.

Ynen was about to ask the robot just how many ethics it managed to have, before Dr. Cain nudged her shoulder with a warning glare. Corkscrew took over.

"Sorry. Don't mind her, y'know? You seem like a pretty cool guy, so of course, we'll treat you like one." He sent a look to the rather irritated woman.

"Thank you." X nodded his head.

So like that, Ynen found herself stuck in the middle of a melting pot where two people couldn't tell the difference between flesh and blood from welded plates and wires. Irked and sick, she cast Dr. Cain a glance before muttering an excuse.

And fleeing the room.

Because at that point, the only thing she wanted to do was run. Perhaps she had no religion, but she had beliefs, and when beliefs tend to be challenged in an unfavorable battle, denial sets in. People run when they're in denial.

People are human.

She was very much human.

* * *

**A/N:** You know, I find it difficult to write a bitch. I think it's because I am such an unbelievably nice person. 

:crickets chirping:

Wow. Tough crowd.


	3. In Hiding

A/N: Craisins are on sale at the store. Those things are sooo good. I suggest you people try them!

* * *

It was certainly more than an hour since Ynen walked out on Corkscrew and Dr. Cain. She hadn't particularly kept track of time, with the idea that it was rather stressing during work. Every other day, she found herself to be an avid believer of the saying 'the watched pot never cooks.' 

Instead, she found Hideki, a computer programmer who spent more time playing computer games during work hours than he did actually working. No one seemed to notice, and those who did, he would try his damnedest to win them over as a friend with the help of a charming smile and a full wallet. He was still considerably new, and everyone loved him the moment they met caught him.

Ynen was surprised to find that the guy had a Land Chaser. Either he was in the military (which he wasn't) or his parents were copiously loaded (which they were). Hideki's high class license and ride put nearly everyone in the lab complexes to shame, and he seemed to want to boost his ego a bit more by appointing and paying Ynen to install some nifty gadgets to the lovely one-man vehicle. More than happy to do something else with her time, she readily agreed, and had been sitting in the hangar ever since.

That was where Corkscrew found her.

She sat cross-legged, tools splayed all around her, as she seemed to be carefully screwing _something _electrical back into the side of the Chaser. She didn't look up at him when he entered and leaned against the wall.

"Hey."

She ignored him.

"You know, you'll never guess what that robot started saying after you left," he chuckled, undaunted by her sourness. "He actually asked if there was something wrong with you."

"So it's a 'he,' now?" Ynen picked up another screw.

"Believe it or not, but I think he really can _feel_. You saw the same thing I did, he obviously didn't like being considered an 'it.' And he doesn't exactly look like a 'she.'"

"I don't care."

"He does."

"_It_ _can't._"

Corkscrew sighed, sliding down the wall to a sitting position. "Have you any idea just how many people would hijack, kill, and maim to be in our position right now?" She continued to remain focused on her work, so he continued, "A lot. Techies, the press, movie producers, and every government from every country in the world. Don't tell me you aren't the least bit curious to figure out if this is the real thing or not?"

She turned her head a bit in his direction, "Real thing…?"

"The _real _thing. A man-made machine that can think on its own!" Corkscrew's eyes brightened, as he chuckled, "Isn't that what humans have been trying to strive for? To see just how far technology can go?"

_Are those really the reasons for years of research? To become Gods?_

"I'm hungry," Ynen stated dryly, suddenly.

"You need a drink."

"I need a gun."

Corkscrew grinned in his boyish way, redirecting his attention. "Who's Chaser is that?"

"How many people do you know that own one?" She quirked an eyebrow, dropping tools back in a box. She made a haphazard mess, knowing that it wouldn't be her to use the set next.

Corkscrew let out a low whistle, "So, what's he got you doing to it? And are those _speakers_ I see?" He gasped, excited.

"Yes. Yes, they are, and you'll most likely hear them when Hideki comes to work tomorrow."

"That lucky bastard. Did he give you the keys?"

"Yep."

"Can I have them?"

"No."

He pouted and glared as she stood up, brushing herself off. She pocketed them away before he could swipe them.

They were out of the hangar when Ynen finally asked a question on the subject she had tried to avoid. "So, what's Dr. Cain doing with the robot now?"

"What do you think?" He shrugged. "Studying."

"Hmm."

"He's peeved at you."

"I'd be surprised if he wasn't."

Corkscrew shrugged again, but he livened up when the two walked into one of the main computer rooms. "Yo! Hideki!"

A swivel chair turned, and a young man jumped out, grinning. "Cork!"

"Keys." Ynen called out. A set of shiny keys flew through the air, caught swiftly in Hideki's hand.

"Thanks. So, what're you two doing? Invent much lately?"

"Cork finished a children's toy yesterday," Ynen looked over at him. He scratched the base of his neck.

"A little robotic dog that pees."

Hideki pursed his lips. "Kind of cute in a strange, immature way." He sat backwards in his chair, arms folded over the back. "You guys know what Dr. Cain was so excited about this morning? The coot was running around back and forth. Here, he managed to drop this," he passed a rolled up paper to Ynen who had a familiar, sickening feeling.

"Oh _Crap_," She slumped. She unraveled them just slightly. They were blueprints. Of an arm cannon.

She wanted a gun. Or a noose.

"What is it?" Corkscrew came over to have a look, upon recognizing, he whistled lowly. Then, as if a dawn light had descended upon him, he snapped his fingers in thought and pointed at Hideki. "Hey, you don't even work in our field, Newbie! Can't read this, can you?"

Ynen could have fallen in love with the man.

Hideki kicked his feet unceremoniously to the top of the table. "S'all Greek to me. Or Chinese, or German."

"Great," Corkscrew smiled vibrantly, "Guess Ynen will just have to run it right back to Dr. Cain then, huh?" He gave her a rough pat on the back and a wink.

Ynen could have killed the man.

Of course, she could have forced him to come along. She could have made him go alone, but deep down, she felt as though this was some sort of plot to drag her into the middle of some misbegotten story and Cain's out-dated, enthusiastic fantasies. No matter how long she wanted to avoid it, there would be some horrible twist that would send her back to listen to the music and face what she could only call a fear that might change the world. And that pissed her off.

Hideki had been utterly confused, while Corkscrew had an infuriatingly knowing look about him. It caused her to slam the door hard enough for her to appear immature in the eyes of passer-bys.

"Son of a Bitch!" She growled loudly, stomping down the halls. Her head didn't quite cool much during the long, maze-like walk to Dr. Cain's capsule room. A bored guard stood by the door, watching her as she swiped her card.

She went in, leaving the guard with a clueless look. Near the point of stomping into the second room, she glared around, hoping to spot Dr. Cain first. She halted upon seeing the robot.

X stood quietly, peering curiously at a thick cord that was hooked from underneath a plate on his arm. Beside him, Dr. Cain was rummaging through bits and pieces of parts and wires. He was nearly hidden behind a stack of odds and ends, though she knew he had heard her come in. He wasn't that absent-minded.

The robot looked at her, and she wondered for a moment if he recognized her. It turned into a rather strange stare.

"W-what?" She tried to snap in an intimidating manner.

X seemed unaffected, though he inclined his head slightly to one side, as if thoughtful of something in regards to her. He then appeared curious. "Nothing. Is it wrong to observe?" He asked in a far too human voice.

"Observe slightly, no, but you were staring. I can hardly expect you to differentiate the two."

He made a look again, with narrowed eyes. "Why are you so cynical?"

_Oh, shit. It's questioning me? _Ynen was rather blown away again. She was at a sudden loss, not quite knowing what to do, and so she ignored the robot, instead turning towards Dr. Cain, who was still clanging around behind the heap. "Dr. Cain?" she called out, irritably.

"Just hold on a moment," he mumbled, grumbling something about laser screws and microns. "Here we go!"

"Ugh…" X winced slightly, and Ynen realized that the cord from his arm was running along the floor towards the main computer. Dr. Cain had split the chord to add another power line.

Ynen, completely distracted from her irritation, became inquisitive as she looked at the robot. "Did that…hurt…?" she knew it sounded ridiculous, but the robot did not laugh.

"No…It was more like a shock."

She tilted her head towards the scientist, who was rising from his spot on the floor. "What are you doing, Dr. Cain? I know that's not how you're getting energy in its systems." She ignored another look from the robot.

"I'm uploading _his_ schematics into the computer. I want back-ups, and visuals of any memories he may have."

"My memories?" X turned toward the terminal as a bright light flashed to the screen.

"You probably don't have any," Ynen said quietly. X said nothing, eyes trained on the screen.

"Watch what you say, Ynen," Dr. Cain warned, pressing a few keys. "I don't need to hear any more immaturity out of you."

"I wasn't being immature," she defended herself, "I meant it. If this is the first time it's been activated, then it would have no memories, right?"

He said, simply, "Programming."

"Programming?"

"Programming." Dr. Cain eased himself to a chair. "Dr. Light may have loaded his head with visuals, manipulating them as to allow X with a sort of pre-background experience, without him actually encompassing such."

Ynen thought about this, watching X as he listened to them from the corner of her eye. "Sounds more like a walking video camera to me," she said.

As Dr. Cain typed away before the slightly large terminal, the screen flashed a long series of codes and symbols. Diagrams and shapes took place, lasting no longer than two seconds at a time, accompanied by clicks and beeps that relayed as completely foreign.

"It's asking for a password," X said suddenly. "I'll see what I can do."

He concentrated. As he did so, a different form of beeps and deep resonations filled the room, some sounds causing Ynen to flinch, and worry to build in her stomach. Especially when the lights began to dim.

Darker and darker the room became. Dr. Cain's reaction was minimal, his concern directed more towards the discovery within X's own internal workings. X himself became thoroughly aware when he finished the strange form of input, and when the room became far too dark to see an inch in front of one's nose, did the computer hiss. Ynen heard Dr. Cain jump from his chair to seek a greater distance from what could be threatening. She noticed the warning bells, running to the other side of the table, feeling her way and crashing her knee against it in the darkness.

A bang echoed loudly against the walls, a crack of sparks flew from the computer, and the lights came back on, stealing back their power.

Ynen's eyes shut when she heard the noise, and she squinted an eye open when the silence reigned, finding X kneeling on the floor, hands covering his head.

"He blew out the computers…!" Dr. Cain gasped in amazement.

Ynen, for a moment, thought that maybe X was frightened by what had happened, as his hands were still closed tightly around his head. When she found the nerve to run over to him, she found that this was not so; something was wrong with him.

His face was contorted into what looked like pain. He was trying to block out something from his head. A sound, maybe? A malfunction inside of him? He was quiet, concentrating strongly on curing whatever was ailing him.

"H-hey!" Ynen tried to get his attention. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked as she reached out to try and move his hand.

"Ynen, don't touch him!" Dr. Cain shouted urgently.

She stopped immediately. "Why not?" she backed away. "What's wrong with it?"

"I…I'm not sure. I may have made the mistake of underestimating him."

"Underestimate? You mean its memories?"

"Not exactly, but-" Dr. Cain paused as he watched X slowly relax, opening an eye. The robot began to breathe deeply, as if he had far over exerted himself. As if he were human.

Ynen didn't know what to do. His motions continued to fool her, and a sympathetic part of her screamed to ask him if he was all right, to go help him stand. To treat him as a human. The other part of her reminded her that he was but metal and wires. He couldn't really feel pain, he couldn't bleed or cry. He couldn't feel.

Both words and actions were meaningless.

"You're weak." She hadn't meant for that to sound cruel, so she continued, "can you re-energize in your capsule?"

"I'll run the generator," Dr. Cain said, solemnly. "The capsule's alternate use should be to revitalize."

X said nothing, as though he had heard neither of them. He looked to be recuperating.

"Can you stand?" Ynen asked, approaching him cautiously.

"…Yeah. Yeah. I've got it," he strained, "I'm okay."

A door was heard sliding opened, and Corkscrew came running in, breathing hard. "Hey! Did you guys have a major power-" He paused, noticing charred computer parts scattered around the room. "Oh, shit."

"Go check the rest of this sector's computer lines." Dr. Cain said to him, "I placed locks on them from here as not to be effected, but…"

"Some of them are down," said Corkscrew, "Not a lot or anything, but some people are either freaked out or pissed off. Hideki's helping to get them back up."

"Good, good…" Dr. Cain nodded, then, "Who's Hideki?"

"Hideki Toyama. Computer whiz _you_ personally interviewed a month ago. Long hair, has a cool bike…"

Ynen grumbled something unintelligible as X attempted to stand, with some success. He stumbled a little, and because of reaction, she tried to help him by allowing him to lean on her. Which, of course, was a stupid idea. He weighed a considerably larger amount than she. She only helped to keep him steady. "You'd think they'd worry about something more important," she muttered, backing away to a comfortable distance. "Scatter brains."

It wasn't much longer until X was safe in the capsule. The lid was left up as Dr. Cain buzzed about. Ynen was reminded of a hospital when she heard the rhythmic beeping of a monitor that levered X's energy. Bright lights glared down at her from the ceiling as she wondered if it was getting oddly hot in the room.

"I wish to run a few tests." Dr. Cain said as he bent over to pick up broken pieces of wire and metal. "Alone. You two should be off work by now, right?"

"Oh. I hadn't realized what time it is." Corkscrew said, looking at his watch. "Time sure flies when your having power outages."

Dr. Cain gave him a horribly dry look as Ynen shuffled her feet. "Are...you going to be okay here by yourself?" She asked, feeling a little silly.

"Nothing an old man can't handle against an armed machine."

"That's not funny!"

"Chill, Ynen." Corkscrew smiled, patting her on the back. "X won't do anything. Look at him. He's sleeping like a baby."

He really was, too. His chest rose and fell like a human, seeming to take breaths of uneeded air to fill inexistent lungs. "He's really wiped out..."

Corkscrew gave her a somewhat triumphant look while Dr. Cain continued what he was doing, saying nothing but listening nonetheless.

"Don't say anything about that, Cork. I'll call it a he, but it doesn't mean anything. He's still just a robot."

"I know, I know." Corkscrew raised his hands in a weak defense. "This just makes it a little easier to know what context your speaking in when we talk about him."

Ynen pursed her lips and looked around, feeling nervous and a little embarrassed. "Come on, let's go, we're off work."

"I kinda' wanted to stay, actually." He said, looking sheepishly at Dr. Cain. "This is really cool, Doc. You don't mind, do you? You did say I was your most trusted assistant."

Ynen slapped a hand to her forehead. "He said that to me, too..."

"There's no need." Dr. Cain said, adjusting a holographic screen to replace the old monitor. "I'll merely be designing and brainstorming. And I'd like to talk with X when he wakes up. Of course, you may drop in whenever you like."

The three said farewells, nodding goodbyes, and leaving with last glances of X. Ynen tried not to think of him, but found that the idea of a robot who looked and acted so human was truly remarkable. And he was so very blue.

"Can't believe it's already past six o' clock." Corkscrew said as they came out into the main lobby. "Do you wanna go have dinner somewhere?"

Ynen thought about it for a moment, but she decided her head was too far in the clouds. She didn't particularly care for crowded places in the first place. "I think I've got a TV dinner waiting for me at home."

Corkscrew shrugged. "Maybe some other time. Do you want a ride?"

Ynen shook her head.

Cain labs was an unusually set up place. It consisted of three buildings, a greenhouse, and a few storage and electrical houses, all within a heavily gated, secured area. Two buildings, one each in a corner, were the residential apartment complexes. Housing many full time employees, board was cheap and was docked off second paychecks. Of course, housing within the gates was optional. The downside was that the labs were a rather long ride from the City, located in a desolate nowhere. With so many tests that were often run, it was mainly a safety precaution.

The third building was the largest, but not visibly. It's top was no higher than the apartments, but its ground ran many stories deep, almost an unending basement. Solar panels lined every roof, separate generators hummed barely audibly, and security guards were plentiful on this particular night.

The pavement was always black and the road lines seemed freshly painted in their yellows and whites every time Ynen minded any attention to them. Small electrical cars hummed passed her as the security inside them nodded acknowledgedly toward her.

One thing she had noticed on her way to her apartment was that the day must have been very clear, but a fog was building in the distance. The effect was surreal. She could see half of the setting sun, impossibly large with it's orange glow, while the other half was obscured by the building she was making her way towards. The dark clouds were developing at the base of the horizon, moving ever so slowly.

Eventually, the sky grew dark and the dim stadium lights were turned on. Ynen had gone to sleep with a book in her hand, dreaming a dream she hadn't had since she was a small child. One where she was trapped in a metal room with no doors, no windows, and no sound.

* * *

A/N: I'm listening to the Nocturne soundtrack, which is kinda creepy in its own right, and my room is the warmest in the house. Those who have fallen asleep in my room right now: my two cats Millie and Thunder, and my twin sister, Jenn. 

Also, I want constructive criticism. I don't need nice reviews. I want hard, truth telling reviews. Even flames are welcome! Make me _think_! Thank you, especially for reading this far .


	4. Odd Man Out

A/N: I live in California, in the San Joaquin valley, and I'm tellin' you guys it is the duckiest weather out here. Rain, rain, rain, rain... Well, the thunder is really cool. But I'd really like a sunshiney day. I feel like hiking. Also, I'm going to Anime Expo! Whoo hoo! I've got these two big male friends. One is blond, the other is dark skinned, so we're going as the disciplinary committee from Final Fantasy VIII. We'll keep you ruffian otakus in line! Nyhaha!

* * *

Three days had gone by since X was awoken. Ynen had been planning on avoiding Dr. Cain's restricted rooms at all costs in order to pretend that the event had never taken place. That was impossible, though, seeing as everyone had been buzzing a little about that quick flash of downtime. Some people were just plain pissed at the loss of some important and involving project, but that was only in Ynen's field. The botanists hadn't seemed to care in the slightest.

She found herself dropping in at least a couple times to the restricted rooms during those days despite her fancied plans of avoidance. It wasn't really out of curiosity, but because she wanted to stay in Dr. Cain's good graces. She never liked it when her grandfather was upset with her, and she found that feeling the same with Dr. Cain. That was something she would never admit to either herself or him.

Conversation with X was generally limited. When he asked her a question about anything from the most mundane to the scientific, her answer always had a curt edge to it. Unimpressed by her mannerisms, he would give up and speak with Dr. Cain or Corkscrew, if he were around. They would spill over designs and theories, X finding it easy to explain some of his functions. He was also very cooperative and easy going with Dr. Cain's studies and tests, until every once in a while he would appear downcast. Ynen had assumed it was just her imagination.

Corkscrew got along well with X. He treated him as he would treat anyone else, a reason why he was always so likable. Ynen somehow envied him for his unabashed and constant enthusiasm about everyone. And everything.

"Hi, Ynen!" came a high and cheerful greeting as Ynen walked into the front lobby. A young blond girl sat behind a large, metallic desk next to a snoozing partner.

"Hi, Lorie."

"What's got you down today?" Lorie asked, blinking her large green eyes.

Ynen felt surprised. She hadn't thought she was looking any different than usual. "Oh...nothing. I was just thinking, that's all. There's been a lot on my mind."

"Is it about that thing Dr. Cain brought here a few days ago?"

Ynen nodded.

"Ever since, there has been some odd things going on." Lorie crossed her arms and shook her head. "Like the power outage."

Ynen nodded again and leaned on the desk. Finally, a little empathy!

"I mean, a little while ago, Dr. Cain came by with a most handsome robot! I had never seen anything like it. Well, him, really. He was most definitely a he."

Suddenly blanched, Ynen stood straight as an arrow. "_What?_"

"Did you know robots could actually look handsome?" Lorie continued. Her partner snorted in his sleep. "And he was such a pretty blue color. Very polite. I wonder what programs are on him?"

"E-excuse me!" Ynen stuttered as she made to bolt for the... come to think of it, she had no idea which way they went. She looked back at a confused Lorie.

"Uh... Left."

"Thank you!"

Ynen quickly noticed that the halls were filled with more people than usual. They were all chatting with one another in excitement.

"Was that cool or what?"

"Where did he come from?"

"Dr. Cain must have brought him in from _somewhere_!"

Ynen had to stop a couple people to ask what direction Dr. Cain and X had gone. She also wondered if Corkscrew was with them.

Everyone was looking so hyped up and unfocused in their work, Ynen was beginning to feel a little out of place. When she walked past any reflective surface, she told herself that she would rather be scowling than looking as lost and confused as she was.

_Confidential my ass!_

She checked the mess hall first. They weren't in there, but she involuntarily caught a few more discussions before she resumed her search.

"Ynen!"

She turned around and saw Hideki running towards her.

"Oh, man..." Hideki caught his breath. "Did you see it?"

She gave him a dead look. "For the past few days, I might've."

He looked indignant at her sarcasm, "I..." the look was wiped off. "_Oh_. So you, Corkscrew, and Dr. Cain... That was what he was so worked up about? That's what they've been doing these past few days..."

"We were asked not to tell anyone."

"Looks like Cain spilled his own beans." He thought for a moment. "You weren't with them much over the past three days, though. Why not?"

Ynen found herself walking again, Hideki at her side. "I didn't really want to be involved."

"But...but this is a huge scientific breakthrough in robotechnology!" He gave her a funny look. "_You're_ field of interest, I might add."

Feeling uncomfortable, Ynen sped up her pace, muttering, "Which way did they go?"

"The lounges. The ones by the stairwell."

Ynen found them just as they were leaving back down the hall. People were sticking their heads through the doors to see, others shamelessly followed along in a small group behind them. Corkscrew wasn't among any of them.

Hideki followed her as she pushed through a few people, and she fell into step with Dr. Cain.

"How kind of you to join us," he said sociably. "We've got quite a parade in these halls, don't we?"

"You're causing one hell of a stir." Ynen said quietly.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later."

They walked a few more paces, Ynen hanging her head just slightly. As if through some controlled venting, she asked quietly, "...Why didn't you tell me?"

"You would have been against it."

Ynen was very quiet as she walked along, not quite sure what she had come to do in the first place. She looked over at X and wondered why she had even felt angry. He had such an interested expression, seeing everything for the first time. He smiled at every person who passed him, and, confused, they would smile back.

"You know, you would have more friends if you were nice like that." Hideki whispered to her upon seeing this.

"Shut up." She growled. He grinned and reached back to retie his hair.

"He couldn't stay confined to a room, Ynen." Dr. Cain said while they stopped as a brave scientist grinned like mad and extended his hand to X, who looked at it strangely.

"I know..."

"He was beginning to seem oddly despondent."

X shook the man's hand, who looked (maybe it was her imagination) a little relieved that the grip wasn't bone crushing. "I just... I can't understand it," Ynen started. "I can't believe it. A machine that can think and act on its own decisions doesn't seem plausible to me."

"If he can feel depressed not mingling with others, I'd say it's believable." Hideki said, watching the interaction. "And even if not, if he were programmed to feel, then isn't it sort of the same thing?"

Ynen blinked and looked back at him. She was about to ask him to explain in more detail, hopefully so that she could somehow argue with him, but there was nothing to argue because she could only fall back on one, simple fact; that X was not _human_.

Dr. Cain looked over at Hideki. "Who are you?"

Hideki sputtered for a moment before recomposing himself. "Hideki, Sir," he announced, albeit a little dismayed. "You interviewed me a month ago."

"Oh. So I did."

"In any case," Ynen said, shaking her head, "What is giving the robot a tour going to accomplish? Are you just going to let him wander around the place?"

She could have sworn that X heard her, as he looked at her from the corner of his eye when she said that. After the group of humans had gone, Dr. Cain lead the way back up.

"That is exactly what I'm going to do. And if you're going to be rude, you could use a little tact."

After that, Ynen kept her mouth shut for most of the day. She left Dr. Cain to his own devices, as she ran off to her own.

She worked studiously on a machine designed to break down dangerous, synthetic drugs; a common and self destructive habit formed in the poverty stricken areas of the largest cybernetic cities. To work with such illegal drugs, she had to make special requests to the government through Dr. Cain, and even then she was required to have someone with her at all times. It didn't matter who, so long as they signed a paper and became a witness.

She had no witness that day. She had to give up her project for a while, locking it away until the hype that X caused died down. It was something else she could use to resent him, but there was no real negative feeling to back it up.

Eventually, the weekend rolled around, and Cain Labs was closed, optionally open for employees. The only ones who showed up were those who had deadlines to make, or those who had nothing better to do. Very, very few showed up on the weekends, and most of them had deadlines.

Having no business in the city, Ynen wore completely casual clothes in the labs. She wanted to clean her room's station. It wasn't particularly difficult, only tedious with scrubbing up the different kinds of oils and keeping things in certain order. She felt miserable finding funny looking stains on her tools from having spilled a drink on them the other day and not cleaning them up.

When lunch time came, she ate an orange in one of the lounges. It was almost empty, almost being that there was a man watching TV, flipping idly through the channels. Ynen had seen a couple programs she wanted to watch, like the history of Russia, but she didn't say anything until the man turned off the television and attempted to chit chat with her while she sat at the table behind him.

"So... that robot, X..."

"Yeah, what about him?" She said halfheartedly, almost angrily, as she dug her fingers into the orange as she peeled it. Some of the juice hit her eye and she wiped at it furiously with some embarrassment.

"Nothing," he replied, disheartened.

He sat there for a while longer, listening to messages on his phone, until he got up and left. Ynen breathed out a stale sigh as she went to the couch and sank into it. She kicked off her shoes and laid on her side, turning on the TV and watching Russian history, which eventually became a show about the beginning of cybernetic prosthetics.

Day turned to night, and the night grew long. She found herself slipping in between the conscious and subconscious, tired eyes open but half lidded. The documentary on Land Chasers that she hadn't been paying attention to eventually became a show about herself. Not that she had any shocked reaction, she just laid there with her eyes open, watching herself on the television, seeing herself in gray pajamas in a metal room that had no doors or windows.

Then she woke up.

There was the sound of a door creaking open. The program that was on had gone to infomercials, but it took a little while for everything to register. She listened to the sound of heavy footsteps and with a gasp, she sat up straight, only to see the robot she had been trying so hard to avoid standing across the room.

"Sorry," he said awkwardly. "Did I wake you?"

Ynen tried to see out the door, but the hall wasn't in view. She wondered if Dr. Cain or Corkscrew was with him. There was no one. What was he doing there? "I'm a light sleeper," she rubbed her eyes with the balls of her hands and asked quietly, "Would you...happen to know what time it is?"

"About two-thirty A.M."

A rounded number. _Machines don't do that_. Machines are always so calculated. "Oh."

"Do you mind if I sit?"

Ynen was finally breaking away completely of her sleepy state when she heard him. She felt waspish being alone with him, but she scooted in a slightly discreet way to the side of the couch, drawing her legs up. "Go ahead."

He regarded her carefully before sitting down slowly. He pushed the cushion he was sitting on with his hand, as though he had never been on something so soft. "You're the only one in the building besides Dr. Cain," he said, looking back and forth between her and the television.

"I'm not surprised. No one but him would spend the night here." She wondered what the hell was being advertised on the infomercial, but only for a couple moments. "You...were looking for people?"

"I couldn't sleep," he shrugged, "I thought I'd look around and see if there was anyone to speak with."

"You were lonely."

"I suppose you could say that. But I didn't think I'd hear it from you."

Ynen clenched her fists into the material of her pants, not out of anger, but out of a solemn self depreciation. There had been no sarcastic bite in X's statement; only truth. He was being factual just as a robot should be. But that didn't sound right all of a sudden. She tried to think of something to say that wasn't an apology.

"What are you watching?" he asked innocently, saving her from continuing a conversation. She fished for the remote and changed the channel when she found it.

"Junk."

She surfed through the programs, finding nothing very interesting. X asked her to stop at another history channel. A few minutes into a documentary, she glanced over at him and found him fixated to the screen, soaking up the information being given to him. He was learning about a world he had missed out on.

Or perhaps he wasn't as interested in it as she thought he was when he asked her a question. "Do you have anyone to go home to?"

It was a very simple question, but it took her by surprise. "No."

"No family?"

"I moved away from my parents a long time ago," she shrugged, "Are you implying that I'm married?"

"Well, I don't know. I don't know anything about you, or anyone here."

If he were human, she would feel terrible for him. Being in a foreign place with no memories, knowing no one, no friends, nothing. But she had tried not to think about that. He was not human, and he could not feel those things.

"_...if he were programmed to feel, then isn't it sort of the same thing?"_

_Hideki. You bastard. Saying things like that..._

"I'm not married, and my family lives a long ways away."

"Oh." Then he smiled. "Thanks."

"Huh?" Her eyes got wide. "For what?"

"For understanding. Even if you say I'm just a robot. And for not leaving the room at the sight of me."

"I-" she didn't really have anything to say, but she wanted to say something. Saying nothing would be like admitting he was right. _Understanding? What a joke._ "Forget it."

"It might have been the longest answer you've given me yet."

She sighed. "Forget it."

She leaned on the side of the couch, staring blankly at what was on the television. The idea of going home came to her head, but she didn't want to expend the energy of getting up and walking back. She tried to stay awake as long as possible until eventually, the show they were watching became a history of the rising of synthetic drugs and the monopoly of a pharmaceutical corporation that she felt was terribly important. But she was too tired to think of it. Not wanting to try and stay awake anymore, Ynen felt her eyes drift closed. The end of the couch where X sat shifted a little, reminding her that he was even there. She opened her eyes, catching him looking at her and she began to sit back up. There was always something weird about trying to sleep when someone was watching you.

"You should sleep if you're tired." X said as she blinked. She was beginning to hope that he would just leave. She gave up and sunk back down into the cushions.

"You're not going to kill me while I'm sleeping, are you?"

Apparently, that was a fairly stupid thing to say.

It was funny that when she actually joked, his eyes got wide and he froze in place. Well, she was at least half joking... she was too tired to realize that she really wouldn't trust him if she were in her right mind.

"I didn't mean that," she said weakly as he stared at her like she had just eaten a dead rat.

"Uh-huh," He shook his head sedately and disbelieving. Then he stood up. "I'm sorry. I hadn't meant to make you uncomfortable."

Ynen didn't do much but watch until he was almost out of the room. "H-hey!" she shouted. "I said I didn't mean it!"

"I know. I heard you." He stood still for a moment longer. "Goodnight."

And then he was gone. Just...left.

Talk about foot in mouth.

Ynen stared at the place he had been standing moments before, feeling very foolish. Of course, she had wanted him gone, so she supposed she should feel relieved. Instead, she found herself absolutely flummoxed. And angry.

"Fine. See if I care, you stupid robot!" She grumbled loudly, knowing there was no chance it could reach out into the hall. "It's not like you can _feel_ anyway."

She sat up and started to pull her shoes on.

"Take a damn joke if you're so great..."

_I talk too much. _

Really though, she only spoke more to herself than she did to others. It was a trait she wasn't particularly proud of, but had never been on a list of priorities to fix.

She turned the television off and stared at the blank screen. The only light in the room came from the door that had been left ajar. There was no point in staying. She was fully awake, and now she wanted to take a walk.

So she went home.

* * *

A/N: To the following: 

**Jhvh777**: I miss the old X games, honestly. When I was a young'un, back when the video mart rented SNES games, I'd go with my older brother, one of his friends, and my twin sister and rent Megaman X. We had to go to the fancy video places to get MMX2 or 3. Through the first one, we all thought Zero was a girl... I thought the occasional "he" was a typo. Anyway, I'm glad you like it :)

**Rising Dragon**: I heard it was around 100 years, too. But I thought it would be cooler if it was much longer in the future. I don't know why. But thank you so much for reading! And reviewing!

**illudrae, Kenji14, Katrover Swatroad, darth, Animegirlever:** I would be absolutely amazed if you guys are reading this after...like... a year.

I'd also like to thank the people who raised my hit count. I mean,you still clicked on this fic! Whether you did or didn'tlike it doesn't even matter! And I SWEAR I'll update TAtW. Also, if any of you like Labryinth, go watch Mirrormask.


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